THE painkilling effect of cannabis can be reproduced by boosting the effect
of the body’s own cannabis-like chemicals, according to American scientists. The
finding raises the prospect of painkillers that do the same trick as smoking a
joint but without any of the side effects.
The active ingredient of marijuana, called tetrahydrocannabinol, has a
variety of effects. It reduces pain, lowers body temperature and enhances
appetite. It achieves these effects by binding to cells in the brain called
cannabinoid receptors.
However, the medicinal use of marijuana is highly controversial, and even
some of the drug’s advocates admit that its action…
